Anti-Reflection Nanostructures on Tempered Glass by Dynamic Beam Shaping

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Laser Physics
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Tempered glass is widely used in electronic displays.
• Controlling surface reflectivity is crucial for display functionality and reducing glare.
• Existing methods for surface modification may involve thermal damage or lack precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the modification of tempered glass surface topography and reflectivity using ultrashort pulsed laser ablation.
• To achieve significant reflectivity reduction while preserving high transparency.
• To explore the potential for functionalizing electronic displays.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 1.7 picosecond (ps) ultrashort pulsed laser at a 1030 nm wavelength.
• Employed a dynamic beam shaping unit and galvanometer scanning head for beamlet matrix generation.
• Adjusted laser and processing parameters, including beamlet number and separation distance.

Main Results:

• Successfully modified tempered glass reflectivity and surface topography without thermal damage.
• Achieved up to 75% reduction in reflected intensity.
• Maintained approximately 90% of the glass's original transparency.

Conclusions:

• Ultrashort pulsed laser processing offers a precise and efficient method for surface modification of tempered glass.
• The developed technique significantly reduces reflectivity while preserving transparency, making it suitable for display applications.
• This approach holds promise for the functionalization of mobile phone and laptop displays to enhance visual performance and reduce glare.